The Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center (Хан Шатыр, “Royal Marquee” or “King of Tents”) is a giant, transparent tent-like structure and one of the most iconic works of modern architecture in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Opened in 2010, this neo-futurist marvel was designed to provide a vast, climate-controlled public space for year-round shopping, leisure, and entertainment, protecting visitors from the city’s extreme continental climate. More than just a shopping mall, Khan Shatyr is a symbol of Astana’s ambition and innovation, housing an urban-scale park, a boating river, and a tropical indoor beach resort under the world’s tallest tensile structure.

Name and Address

• Name: Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center.
• Address: Turan Avenue 37, Astana, Kazakhstan. It is located at the northern end of Nurjol Boulevard, the city’s main ceremonial axis.

How to Get There

As a major landmark at the end of the central boulevard, Khan Shatyr is very easy to access.

• By Car/Taxi: This is the most direct method. The center is a well-known destination, and taxis can take you directly to its entrance.
• By Bus: Numerous city bus routes stop directly in front of or near the Khan Shatyr.
• By Foot: The center is a pleasant walk down the length of Nurjol Boulevard from the Bayterek Tower, allowing you to see many of Astana’s other futuristic landmarks along the way.
• Visitor Tip: The center is a popular destination for families and can get busy on weekends. The main attraction, the Sky Beach Club, often requires advance booking.

Landscape and Architecture

The architecture of Khan Shatyr is a groundbreaking feat of engineering and design, creating a unique indoor landscape.

• The Giant Tent: Designed by the renowned British architect Sir Norman Foster, the structure is a massive, transparent tent that stands 150 meters (490 feet) tall. It is a cable-net structure, with a network of cables strung from a central spire, covered in a translucent, durable polymer called ETFE.
• Climate-Controlled Environment: The ETFE envelope is the key to the building’s function. This three-layer material allows sunlight to flood the interior while insulating it from Astana’s extreme temperatures, which can range from -35°C (-31°F) in winter to +35°C (95°F) in summer. This technology maintains a comfortable, stable indoor climate year-round.
• Interior Landscape: Underneath the tent is an area larger than 10 football stadiums, designed as an urban-scale park with multiple levels. It features squares, cobbled streets, a shopping center, a boating river, mini-golf, and, most remarkably, an indoor beach resort. The interior is designed with undulating terraces that create a sense of a natural, rolling landscape.

What Makes It Famous

Khan Shatyr is famous for its unique form as the world’s tallest tent and for the extraordinary attractions it contains within its climate-controlled environment.

• The World’s Biggest Tent: Its primary claim to fame is its status as the world’s tallest tensile structure, a unique architectural and engineering marvel.
• The Indoor Beach Resort (Sky Beach Club): The most famous attraction inside is the Sky Beach Club, located on the top terrace. It is a tropical paradise with white sand imported from the Maldives, palm trees, and a large swimming pool with waves, all kept at a constant tropical temperature under the ETFE dome, providing a surreal beach experience in the middle of the Kazakh steppe.
• A Year-Round Oasis: It is renowned for providing a comfortable, climate-controlled public space where residents and visitors can enjoy a summer-like atmosphere even in the depths of a brutal winter.
• An Eco-Friendly Landmark: The building’s use of innovative, energy-efficient materials and climate-control strategies has earned it recognition as one of the world’s top eco-buildings.

Differences from Other Wonders

Khan Shatyr offers a unique experience that sets it apart from other modern architectural landmarks.

• A Climate-Controlled World vs. an Open-Air Monument: Unlike the Bayterek Tower or the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, which are monuments to be viewed and ascended, Khan Shatyr is an entire, enclosed world. Its purpose is to create a complete, artificial indoor environment that shields visitors from the outside climate.
• A Focus on Leisure and Entertainment: While the Palace of Peace is a center for spiritual dialogue and the Bayterek Tower is a symbol of national identity, Khan Shatyr is fundamentally a center for public leisure, shopping, and entertainment.
• Tensile Architecture vs. Solid Structures: Its architectural form as a giant, cable-net tent is completely different from the solid pyramid of the Palace of Peace or the tower structure of Bayterek. It is a masterpiece of lightweight, tensile engineering.